Switch



Jan. 1o, 1933. A* J CARTER 1,893,613

SWITCH Filed March 25, 1929 ii 'l l y l y' I vwfw @f Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALVA J'. CARTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CARTER RADIO COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SWITCH Application filedV March 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,632.

My invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly to those in which a movable contact member is adapted to'be snapped into and out of position connecting stationary contacts by energy which is .stored in a spring by the action of an operating lever.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide a switch of this character which shall consist of relatively few parts that are easily assembled into a compact bod Ity is also a purpose of this invention to provide, in a switch of this character, .a novel means whereby the contacts in closing the circuit are adapted to make Contact at a different place on the stationary contacts than that at which the circuit is opened.

It is also a purpose of this invention to provide, in a device of this character, novel means for moving the movable contact, which consists of a pair of levers and a resilient element so associated that the operation of one of the levers causes the other lever to snap the movable contact into and out of circuit closing position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein the preferred form of the invention is shown. It is obvious, however, that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the switch, showing it in open circuit position;

Fig. 2 is a section at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the switch in circuit closing position' Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing the switch ust prior to its movement from circuit closing to open circuit position; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to theI drawing, I

show at 5 a block of insulating material which is cut out between the ends to provide Va recess 6 extending directly across the insulating body and open at both sides. This recess has adjacent the top 7 of the body a pair of grooves 8 and 9 which extend into the body of insulation to receivethe corresponding flanges 10 and 11 on a tubular metallic member 12. rl`he flanges l0 and 11 are preferably rectangular, so that when slid into the grooves 8 and 9 they will hold the member 12 from turning relative to the body 5.

A pair of insulating plates 13 and 14 are adapted to be secured by thc bolts 15 and 16 to the opposed sides of the block 5 so as to close the recess 6. These plates are also provided With grooves similar to the grooves 8 and 9, so that the flange member 12 may be slid into position from the side of the block. Around the bolt 16 there are provided circular recesses 17 and 18 on opposite sides of the block 5, which recesses communicate with the interior recess 6 and with the end of the block 5. These recesses 17 and 18 are adapted to receive stationary contacts 19 and 20, which have enlarged openings at one end thereof, and which are shaped to substantially conform to the outline of the recesses 17 and 18, the free ends of these contacts extending into the recess 6, as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

lViring terminals 21 and 22, ,having substantially horse-shoe shaped inner ends, as shown at 23, are also adapted to seat in the recesses 17 and 18 in contact with the stationary contacts 19 and 20, so as lto form a suitable means for connecting conductors to the switch. It will be noted that this con-v struction forms a space insulation between the terminals and contacts on the one hand and the bolt 1G on the other, without the necessity of using a washer or other insulating piece at this point.

The movable contact member for-bridging between the contacts 19 and 20 consists of a metallic piece 24 which is bent around one end of the insulating bar 25 and clamped y thereon sufficiently tight to prevent its be- 4contact carr ing lever. 35 is turne coming dislodged. This insulating 'bar extends upwardly into the tubular member 12 and has clamped thereon the metal piece 26, which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, consists of a substantially Ushaped tlat strip having one end provided with lateral extensions, such as shown at 27, which are bent around the bar 25 and over the other end of the member 26 so as toelamp it upon the bar. The bar is, of course, suitably recessed, as shown at 28, to aid in malting this clamping connection rigid.

The U-shaped member 26 is encircled by a spring 29, which is held from passing olf of te free end 30 thereof by means of the lateral extensions 3l and 32. The members 25 and 26 form together a lever carrying the bridging Contact 24, which lever is pivotally and slidably secured within the member 12 by means of the pin 33, the spring 29, of course, tending to force the lever upwardly into the member 12 to its limiting position, governed by the end of the insulating bar 25 striking the pin 33. However, if pressure is applied to the end 30 of this lever, it may be moved endwise against the pressure of the spring to thus store energy in the spring for causing the operation which will now be described.

Iivoted in the outer end of the tubular member 12, by means of a pin 34, is a second lever 35, which is provided with a suitable knob 36 for hand operation. This lever 35, as

shown, is nivoted very close to one end thereof, and this end has the enlarged fiat base 37 which presses against the end 30 of the contact carrying lever. The action of the switch is as follows:

Assuming `that the elements are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the bridging contact 24 is completely out of engagement with the stationary contacts 19 and 20, and the spring 29 has forced the lever as far into the member 12 'as it will go.

Now, however, if the lever 35 is turned downwardly about its pivot, it will press the contact carrying lever downwardly into the recess 6 and thus compress the spring 29 until the fiat face of the lever 35 extends at substantially right angles to the axis of the Now, if the lever slightly farther in the same direction, the end 30 of the contact carrying lever will slide on the flat face 37, and the spring 29, owing to the fact that it is compressed, will tend to force this end 30 farther outward away 'from the pivot 33, and thus swing the contact carrying lever about the pivot 33 to snap contact 24 into engagement with contacts 19 and 20.

In opening the circuit, the. action is just reversed, so that by turning the handle 35 in the opposite direction, the contact carrying lever is lirst moved down into the recess 6 and then caused to flip or snap away from the stationary contacts 19 and 20. This downward movement causes the movable contact 24 to discngagc from contacts 19 and 20 at a different point than that at which it engaged, since, when it engages, the lever. carrying this contact has been forced upwardly by the spring 29 toits extreme upward position in the member 12, and in disengaging the lever has been forced by Vmeans of the lever 35 into its lowermost position in the recess 6.

From the above description, it is thought that the construction and operation of this device will be clear to those skilled in this art, and, having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of stationary contacts, a bridging contact movable into and out of position connecting said stationary contacts, and operat ing means for moving said bridging contact, and al support for said contacts comprising an insulating block cut awjay from one side edge intermediate its ends to form a recess in which said contacts lie, grooves o'n opposite sides of one end portion of said block, said stationary contacts being seated in said grooves, and fiat insulating sheets closing the sides of said recess and holding said contacts in position.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of stationary contacts, a bridging contact movable into and out of position connecting said stationary contacts, and operating means for moving said bridging contact comprising a rigid arm carrying said bridging contact, a pivot therefor, actuating means engaging one end of said arm for movin the same endwise, and a coiled spring on sai arm tensioned by said endwise movement cooperating with said actuating means to cause said arm to swing about its pivot, said spring having one end engaging the pivot of said arm and the other en engaging projections on said arm.

3. A switch comprising a block having opposed iiat sides, and having a slot therein extending from one flat side to the other, stationary contacts extending into said slot, a casing having one end slidable into said slot from one of said sides, said casing carrying a movable contact, and means for moving it into and out of engagement with said stationary contacts, and covers for the opposed fiat sides of said block holding said contacts and casing in place.

4. In a device ofthe character described, a pair of stationary contacts, a bridging contact movable into and out of position connecting said stationary contacts. and operating means for moving said bridging contact to cause it to leave said stationary contacts at lli) s different point than that at which it engages them, said means comprising a fixed pivot member on which said bridgin contact is pivotally and slidably mounte and means for sliding said Contact relative to the pivot and swinging it about said pivot to thereby move it into and out of engagement with said stationary contacts.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe. l0 my name this 9th day of March, A. D., 1929.

' ALVA J. CARTER. 

